On Thursday, 29th June, the Portree Lifeboat made the passage to Gairloch to meet the Primary 1-3 and Gaelic Primary 1-4 pupils from Gairloch Primary School.

They recently held a sponsored sand castle build and raised a tremendous amount of money which was divided between Portree RNLI, the Coastguard and Gairloch Primary School. The children presented the Lifeboat crew with a cheque and enjoyed the chance to look around RNLI 'Stanley Watson Barker'.

A Broadford lecturer has received recognition for her work with the UHI.

Heather McNeill received "Best Academic Support" for her work as a lecturer on the NC Crofting and Countryside Skills with the West Highland College UHI.

The University of the Highlands and Islands was one of the first UK institutions to introduce student-led teaching awards. The initiative from the Highlands and Islands Students’ Association (HISA), now in its eighth year, recognises excellence in 14 categories, with winners coming from around the university partnership.

This year, six of the UHI staff have been commended or highly commended in various categories by students.

Heather was nominated by one of her students who commented “having been accepted onto my course with no confidence in myself, the encouragement I got was fantastic. Heather made me see myself in a new way as a good person, I can’t explain just how much her chats meant to me and the good they did. I went on to win “Further Education Student of the Year” and with her support have now passed my HNC Horticulture. Basically, with her encouragement I have achieved more than I ever thought possible – I’m even in the process of starting up my own business.”

Heather herself commented: “It is so rewarding to be appreciated by a student in this way, and it has been a real pleasure to watch Craig make such progress over the past two years."

Professional artists will be working with four shinty clubs to create a series of original prints as a future legacy for the clubs.

The project, entitled Throw Up 20.18, is funded by Highland Culture Strategic Board’s ‘Highland Culture: Take Pride, Take Part’ programme.

The chosen clubs are Skye, Beauly, Fort William and Newtonmore.

Artist, John McNaught will collaborate with Skye. He grew up on the island and in 2014 was commissioned to take a series of black and white photographs of the Camanachd Cup Final.

Skye Camanachd, Chairman, Douglas MacDougall said: “This year is a significant milestone in the history of Skye Camanachd where we celebrate our 125th anniversary. To be involved in this innovative visual project with the Highland Print Studio which further promotes shinty whilst recognising our island culture and heritage is quite appropriate and welcomed by the club and our supporters.”

The artists will spend time with their assigned club over the 2017 and 2018 seasons, actively engaging with the club and its wider shinty community. They will research the club’s history, with the help of the fans and the players, and gain an insight into the game, its culture and the volunteers who commit their time and energy to their club.

The artwork will be exhibited at the Camanachd Cup 2018 final, shinty’s showcase event. It will then be exhibited at the International 2018 before going on tour.

A new grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will enable the go ahead for a local project.

Cleas, a charity that engages in cultural, arts and history projects, has received a HLF Stories, Stones and Bones grant of £4920.

This project will run in Portree, Staffin and Kilmuir Primary Schools and be led by Cleas in collaboration with Cànan Graphics Studio.

The funding will help to engage local children and historians from north east Skye with specialists, writers, artists and poets to reinvigorate local culture and heritage along with the world class archaeology of the area. This project is part of Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.

The University of the Highlands and Islands has announced plans to develop a BSc degree in optometry to address the growing demand for eye care services in the region.

Managers have submitted an initial proposal to the General Optical Council and are working with stakeholders to develop the new course. The Federation of (Ophthalmic and Dispensing) Opticians Educational Trust is providing expertise and funding to help develop the degree. The programme will incorporate new approaches to regional training to support the delivery of optometry services in remote and rural communities.

The initiative is part of the university's wider plans to develop a School of Health, Social Care and Life Sciences which will expand and align its curriculum to meet the needs of the region.

Professor Crichton Lang, deputy principal of the university, said: "We are delighted to be working in innovative ways with industry partners to develop and deliver this BSc degree in the region. This initiative will boost career opportunities, strengthen the supply of qualified optometrists to the industry and contribute to the overall delivery of high-quality health and social care to our communities. These benefits all align fully with our vision for the growing impact of the university's School of Health, Social Care and Life Sciences."

Samantha Watson, chair of Optometry Scotland, said: "The Scottish Government has correctly recognised the pivotal role of eye health and vision to the health, wellbeing and prosperity of our nation. Scotland has very specific eye health requirements with geographical challenges that must be met with a long term local workforce strategy. Optometry Scotland recognises the difficulties recruiting and retaining optometrists in the remote and rural areas of Scotland and supports this initiative."

Nonstop swimming event, Just Keep Swimming, is set to take place tomorrow (Thursday 29 June.)

Project Manager, Hannah Wilson, was inspired when she was involved in a team 12 house sailing event. After putting together a team with a similar enthusiasm, Hannah and her swimming partner, Tara Lancaster, will be aiming to swim one hour on and one hour off for a full 12 hours. Support swimmer, Iain Murray, will be on hand to assist.

The swimming event will be raising money for local charity, Lucky2BHere, and local school, MacDiarmid Primary School.

The UK's slowest broadband speeds are in Orkney, Shetland and the Highlands and Islands, according to a report by Which?

The report stated that 10Mbps was the minimum required speed for families under the Government Universal Service Obligation. However, their research revealed that many areas fell short of those requirements.

The Highlands had an average speed test result of 8.8Mpbs.

Dundee City is the only area in Scotland to make it into the top five for best Broadband speeds.

Commenting on the Which? Report on broadband speeds in local authority areas which shows the Highlands and Islands as having amongst the worst broadband speeds in the UK, Scottish Labour Connectivity spokesperson Rhoda Grant said: “This report again highlights that remote and rural areas including Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and the Highlands in my region are still at the back of the queue for connections and that more than half of homes in some parts of rural Scotland are still struggling with very slow internet speeds.

National Gaelic short film competition, FilmG, has been launched for a tenth year.

FilmG, MG ALBA's Gaelic short film competition, was established in 2008 as a means of developing Gaelic filmmaking talent and encouraging grassroots Gaelic storytelling through film. Over this time a bank of more than 650 Gaelic short films has been created online and the competition has become a springboard for young people keen to carve out a career in Gaelic media. These youngsters include two Gaelic children's TV presenters, Megan MacLennan and Kerry Anne MacLeod who were both shortlisted for their wonderful performances at the first ever FilmG awards ceremony and who now appear regularly on BBC ALBA.

The competition is open to all ages. The theme for the tenth FilmG is "firinn" - "truth."

Gaelic teacher Iain Cumming said: "We've had a great afternoon here in Gairloch, with the whole school as well as members of the community attending the launch and celebrating the excellent films made by Gairloch High School pupils. Over the last few years we've learned a lot about film-making and it was great that all that effort paid off in FilmG 2017. We're very much looking forward to getting involved again this year, in fact some of the pupils are already developing their ideas and beginning work on their scripts!"

A new service for the bereaved in the Highlands will remove the need for grieving families to notify multiple public bodies of a death.

The service was launched today (Monday 26 June) by the Highland Council and is called "Tell Us Once."

The service will ensure that when a death is registered in the Highland area, a notification is automatically issued to most government agencies which removes the need for grieving families to notify multiple public bodies. The Registrar will explain this opt-in service when a death is being registered.

Councillor Alasdair Christie, Chairman of the Council’s People Committee described the service as: “An extremely helpful support arrangement for people who are dealing with the loss of a loved one which is always a stressful time. Tell Us Once will help the bereaved while they are making necessary arrangements, often within limited timescales. The new service is a good example of government departments working together to ease the pressure on individuals.”

Fearann Eilean Iarmain has won the 2017 Golden Plover Award for Moorland Management.

The award is jointly run by The Heather Trust and The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) Scotland and recognises the essential part played by the gamekeepers of Fearann Eilean Iarmain in conserving and protecting the natural environment and the associated wildlife that thrive on Fearann Eilean Iarmain.

Establishing Fearann Eilean Iarmain in 1972, Sir Iain Noble was committed to supporting and to promoting the linguistic and cultural heritage of the crofting communities. As an integral part of these endeavours, Sir Iain invested in the conservation of the environmental heritage, pioneering the establishment of one of the first native woodland regeneration schemes in Scotland.

Head keeper, Scott MacKenzie, said: “Solid foundations were set over 40 years ago which enable Fearann Eilean Iarmain to continue to shape and build a strong, healthy working environment for future generations.

Sir Iain Noble understood the value of protecting a healthy, diverse landscape that not only supports the traditional land uses of crofting and farming but also encourages a wealth of wildlife and a diversity of habitats. Much of this was achieved, at the time, by employing a gamekeeper, Skye's only full-time gamekeeper. Today an underkeeper/ghillie is also employed. Amongst our many objectives is to continue the success of ground nesting birds and waders and to manage the moorland and the woodlands so that they continue to be ideal habitats that support a rich diversity of wildlife.”

A new four-year deal for the production of drama content on BBC ALBA has been agreed, it has been announced today (Sunday 25 June.)

Funded by MG ALBA, the Gaelic Media Service - one of the partners behind BBC ALBA – the new contract with Young Films secures the future of the channel's drama series, Bannan and marks a significant investment in drama for the channel.

Filmed on the Isle of Skye, and produced by The Inbetweeners' Chris Young, 23 episodes of Bannan have been produced since 2014, with five of those due to be aired on BBC ALBA in the autumn. The success of Bannan has led to an international deal being signed for the series with DRG, one of the leading independent distributors of programmes in the world.

The new contract, running until 2021, will lead to at least 20 episodes being produced for the channel. The announcement was made prior to a screening of Bannan at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and coincided with the launch of MG ALBA's annual report for 2016/17.

Maggie Cunningham, chair of MG ALBA, said: "The development of drama was a key milestone for BBC ALBA and since it was first broadcast in 2014, Bannan has proved popular with both our core Gaelic audience and non-Gaelic speakers alike.

"We're pleased to announce a four-year deal with Young Films, which will provide longer-term certainty for Bannan's ongoing development. In recent years we have awarded a number of multi-year volume deals to producers for other genres and seen resulting cost savings and collaborations which in turn has allowed more new programmes to be made. Whilst drama production comes at a significantly higher cost than other genres, MG ALBA believes longer-term planning for Bannan can bring similar benefits and also, that such strategic investment in drama enables us to create a strong creative foundation that benefits the future of Gaelic on screen, by strengthening the skills vital to telling our stories."

A new Skye tour is combining the beauty of the scenery with the thrill of a scavenger hunt.

The new business, named I Love Skye, is founded by Matt Harrison and Vanessa Lopez. Matt told The Skye Times: "I came up with this, as well as a few other ideas we have in the pipeline. I went to Vanessa, as I knew she was in web design." Over coffee, it was revealed that Vanessa had had a similar idea to Matt's.

Said Matt: "We get on really well and have skills which complement each other, so we decided to work on it together!"

The Skye Scavenger Hunt self-guide tour involves finding the clues and solving puzzles while travelling through Skye and Lochalsh.

The initiative aims to provide users with tips and information, while giving an exciting twist to their island visit.

Scavenger hunters are encouraged to like, share and check in with social media as they work their way around the island and have the chance to win prizes.

Postponed, but not defeated - that is the attitude behind the decision to postpone the Struan Community Gala.

The Gala was originally scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday 24 June).

However, the Gala Committee have been watching the weather forecast and, after seeing gusts of wind predicted to be over 40mph, have made the executive decision to cancel the Gala until Saturday 8 July.

The Gala Committee are very sorry to disappoint and hope that on Saturday 8 July they have marvellous weather to make up for the wait.

National Picnic Week has chosen the Top Picnic Spot and A Runner Up in every region in the UK. The Fairy Pools was declared as the Scottish winner. They stated that it was chosen for its "breath-taking, fantastical views."

Locally grown barley could be used to make R&B Distillers' whisky, if growing trials are successful on the Isle of Raasay.

R&B Distillers began to trial barley growing on the island in April 2017, using five different barleys.

The variety that thrives best could be used for making R&B Distillers' whisky.

The advice of locals, including Andrew Gillies, John Gillies and Alasdair MacAskill, has been vital. Orkney-based Dr Peter Martin of the University of the Highlands and Islands' Agronomy Institute also shared his knowledge.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the lead organisation responsible for the promotion of Gaelic in Scotland, has announced the appointment of two new members of staff in their Inverness and Fort William offices.

Tasha Madigan is from Uig on the Isle of Skye and after learning Gaelic at Portree High School, and graduating in Gaelic and History at the University of Aberdeen, Tasha recently completed a Gaelic and Communications course at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. Tasha will be based in Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s Fort William office working as an Early Years Officer.

Skye politicians have pledged to work together to try and secure a new building for the ailing Broadford Primary.

Yesterday (Wednesday 21 June) Highland Council's new People's Committee – which includes education as part of its remit – rubber-stamped £350,000 funding for the new modular classrooms which are replacing the old and leaking portakabins.

The modular classrooms are now in place, and it is hoped that pupils and teachers will be able to use them before the summer break.

However, concerns remain over the overall poor condition of the main building – which has damp problems stemming from its flat roof, the poor fabric of the building, peeling décor and inadequate toilet facilities.

Over 130 pupils from Portree High School attended Gary Maclean's chef's theatre at the Spirit of Skye Festival.

The Masterchef: The Professionals winner demonstrated how to make homemade pasta and pesto, with fresh Isle of Skye langoustines and scallops and a light sprinkling of salt from the Isle of Skye Sea Salt Company.

Gary promoted the various exciting opportunities available through the hospitality industry, providing first-hand experience of how his career has opened doors for him throughout the world. This was followed by a vibrant question and answer session from enthusiastic pupils. Gary also spoke about how he followed his childhood dream of becoming a chef, and he encouraged Portree High School students to do the same.

SNP MSP Kate Forbes is encouraging all expectant mums in Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, whose babies are due on or after 15 August 2017, to register for a baby box at their next midwife appointment.

These boxes contain various essential items for a child's first weeks and months.

The SNP is using new powers to create new Maternity and Early Years' Allowances, providing expectant mothers on low incomes with £600 for their first child, £300 for second and subsequent children, with low-income families receiving a further £250 grant when their child starts nursery, and again when they start school.

Kate Forbes MSP said: "The Scottish Government is proudly gifting a Baby Box to every child in Scotland to help tackle deprivation, improve health and support parents – just one part of our determination to ensure that every child has an equal start in life.

Auditions will be held on Skye in order to find two young male actors to take part in an international drama-documentary series.

MG ALBA, Solus Productions and Sorbier Productions are searching for new acting talent for two dramas aimed at children and young people.

Solus Productions will be holding auditions in Skye, Benbecula, Glasgow and Stornoway between 19-24 June looking for the series Small Hands 2, produced by LOOKSFilms. The series will features stories based on letters and diaries from the WW2 interlaced with documentary and archive for transmission on BBC ALBA in 2018/19.

Jim Webster from Solus said: "Solus are delighted to be involved in Small Hands 2 and we look forward to seeing what talent the auditions yield. Anyone unable to attend an audition can get in touch via our email address and we can look at submissions online."

Sorbier Productions have also been busy in the last few weeks auditioning for a lead young female actor and young male supporting lead actor for a children's drama that is also part of an international project operated through the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) aimed at children aged 6-9. The Gaelic film will be seen across Europe and beyond and in exchange children's films from across Europe will be available for transmission on BBC ALBA in 2018.

A whale that was stranded on the Isle of Skye will feature in a Sky Atlantic documentary.

The documentary, A Plastic Whale, will focus on the effects of plastic on ocean wildlife and will include unique footage of the Cuvier's beaked whale that was stranded on the island in 2015.

Dr Andrew Brownlow, a veterinary pathologist for SMASS, said four kilograms of plastic bags and sheeting had filled the whale's stomach, twisted into its intestine and completely blocked its digestive system.

There were black bin liners, carrier bags and zipped freezer bags. This significant amount had caused an impaction in the stomach, which extended into the duodenum and further down the intestine. It was euthanased on welfare grounds. A highly challenging necropsy, with the animal being largely submerged during most of the examination, was done by the SMASS team.

Councillor John Gordon is the new chair for the Isle of Skye and Raasay Committee of The Highland Council which met earlier today in Portree.

Speaking after chairing the meeting, which gave members the opportunity to scrutinise the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s local performance report as well as the area’s housing performance report from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017, Cllr Gordon said: “It is going to be a honour to serve as chair of the Committee and I am sure we will all work well as a team to ensure the voices of the communities we represent are heard.

"The Highland Council Administration has given a firm commitment to increase the role for Area Committees so I look forward to embracing the new opportunities and seeing the Committee evolve and take on a wider remit.”

“I would like to thank my ward colleagues for their support and it’s a great privilege to serve the people of Skye and Raasay. We are committed to working hard and delivering the priorities of this great area.

"We acknowledge there is much to do but with the ambition and vision that we all share we know much can be achieved and delivered, so that this area continues to be a great place to live, work and visit.”

A week long road safety operation was carried out on the Isle of Skye after concerns were raised by residents and local community groups.

The operation saw fifteen drivers charged with speeding in built up areas, two people charged with drink driving, two vehicles being seized for having no insurance and a driver reported for having no valid driving licence along with a number of other offences in relation to inappropriate driving and vehicle defects.

Constable David Canning, based in Dunvegan, who led this operation said: "It was disappointing to detect so many people continuing to drive at inappropriate speeds in the built up areas of the island, including one local man who has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal for driving at 51 miles per hour in a 30 miles per hour zone in Broadford.

"These pro-active patrols, working jointly with the Roads Policing Unit, will continue throughout the summer in order to influence driver behaviour and ensure that the Skye roads continue to be safe places for residents and visitors.

"All of those detected now face a fine and points being imposed on their driving licence whilst those caught drink driving face a minimum of a 12 month driving ban if found guilty.

"Our message to users of the roads on the Isle of Skye is to take your time, drive with consideration for others and get there safely."

Anyone with information in relation to specific areas where speed or inappropriate driving is a concern is asked to contact 101 to speak to a local officer and follow the @LochabSkyePol Twitter feed for up to date information on what is happening in the area.

Officers in Portree are appealing for information to help trace Jessica Jones who has been reported missing.

The 15-year-old was last seen at Portree High School at around 11.30am this morning (Monday June 19, 2017).

She is described as being around 5ft 7, of a slim build with long blond curly hair which was tied back. She was wearing black trousers, a white blouse and was carrying a rucksack.

There are increasing concerns for Jessica's safety and well-being and anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact Police on 101. Likewise, Jessica is also asked to make contact to let us know she is safe and well.

Comments are invited on the second edition of NHS Highland’s Gaelic Language Plan, which is now out for public consultation.

Under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, NHS Highland has a statutory duty to play its part in promoting the language. The plan sets out a formal structure for how the board will implement the plan and was informed by a staff survey and support from Bòrd na Gàidhlig. NHS Highland hope it will be further shaped through the public consultation.

In Skye & Raasay, Tiree and Colonsay one in five people living in these communities speak Gaelic, and just over half speak Gaelic in the Western Isles, which, although not in the board area NHS Highland does provide a number of services for people of the Western Isles as well as in Raigmore Hospital.

Elaine Mead, Chief Executive for NHS Highland said: “As the biggest employer in Highland and Argyll & Bute there are many opportunities and benefits to promoting the Gaelic language throughout our area. It is important we strive to offer respect for Gaelic language and I am committed to do what I can to raise awareness. I look forward to hearing how people feel we can have a positive impact.”

Commenting on NHS Highland’s role in promoting Gaelic, Michael Foxley, non executive director of NHS Highland and long-time champion of safeguarding Gaelic Language said: “If the long term future of Gaelic in Highland and Argyll and Bute is to be secure then public bodies, like NHS highland have to play their part. We did not deliver on our commitments in our original plan as intended but through the delivery of this plan I hope we can remedy that.”

The Fairy Pools car park could accommodate 137 cars and approximately 20 mini-buses and campervans in addition to the current spaces, if plans submitted to the Highland Council are granted planning permission.

The existing 30 space car park, which is located along an existing forestry road, is consistently overcrowded and often sees visitors to the Pools parking on the verge of the single track roads.

Last year, the popular beauty spot attracted over 108,000 visitors.

The application proposal states that a new lower access to the car park would be created. Improved road crossing and mitigation planning would also be provided, as well as places for picnics, interpretation and compost toilets.

Skye could, once again, be the subject of a television series - this time following the lives of those who have moved to the island.

A four part BBC series is currently in the research and development stage.

Glasgow-based company, Finestripe Production, are developing the idea. Assistant Producer, Kelly Machin, told The Skye Times: "We are looking for people who are interested in taking part, and researching the businesses already operating successfully on Skye. What I've definitely found is that a bit of entrepreneurial spirit will be key for our contributors - but that could take on very different forms depending on their hobbies and interests, previous profession and skillset."

The series will follow the contributors for their first three months on the island as they set up or take over businesses and settle into their new lives.

Staffin Primary School received a commendation in The Pocket Garden Competition.

The pupils were tasked with designing a colourful and exciting pallet sized garden – that included plants for people to eat, is good for wildlife and celebrates the year of history, heritage and archaeology, while reusing materials which would otherwise be discarded.

Staffin's design included an erupting volcano to transport viewers back to the time of the dinosaurs and immerse them in the story of the Skye landscape.

The Pocket Garden Competition is run in partnership between Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Garden for Life Forum. The Garden for Life Forum and Gardening Scotland selected the entries that were then turned into a real-life garden for display at the weekend. The gardens were then judged by members of the Forum and a select few are presented with awards, based on the 2017 Pocket Garden themes.

Visitors to Gardening Scotland this weekend selected Gigha Primary School as the winner of the prestigious 2017 My Favourite Pocket Garden Award - as part of the One Planet Picnic Pocket Garden feature at the event.

The Pocket Garden designs on display were selected from over 300 competition entries from across the length and breadth of Scotland to create the Living Garden, at Gardening Scotland this past weekend (2nd - 4th June). The real-life gardens were then judged and four were presented with awards.

The winners were:

One Planet Picnic - Douglas Academy

Wildlife Gardening - Dunoon Grammar School

Year of History, Heritage, and Archaeology- Arnhall Day Nursery

Commendations were also received by Grove Academy, and Williamwood High School.

Bun Sgoil Stafainn (Staffin Primary School) has received an award from the First Minister in a nationwide competition to encourage Scottish children to foster a lifelong love of reading.

The Skye school was given the Gaelic Medium Education Award by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the ceremony celebrating the first year of the First Minister’s Reading Challenge.

A total of 12 prizes were awarded at the celebration event at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh on Wednesday (14 June).

Bun Sgoil Stafainn was awarded the Gaelic Reading Journey prize for incorporating the Challenge into many areas of school life. As the pupils’ enthusiasm grew, they took part in even more extra-curricular reading activities.

The Challenge was a huge success with all of the older pupils taking part in more reading for pleasure, engaging more often with Gaelic literature and having lots of fun with a variety of different books in English and Gaelic.

Taking part in the Challenge has led to an increase in the time made available for reading at school, and the pupils have been encouraged to choose books to read and create displays that show off their increased learning in literacy. The school plan to build on all this in the future.

Elgol Primary School String Trio took first place in the recent Isle of Skye Provincial Mod 2017.

The Elgol Primary School String Trio were overjoyed as they managed to retain the 1st place spot for a 3rd year in a row.

The Plockton Primary String Ensemble came second in their first ever public performance out with their school environment.

Both groups were really excited to take part and couldn't wait to add some of the adjudicators ideas to their arrangements. They are all looking forward to playing their new and improved pieces at their end of term celebrations. The pupils are taught by The Highland Council’s strings Instructor (temporary) for the area, Mhairi Mackinnon.

Music Development Officer for the Council, Norman Bolton sent congratulations to all involved in these successes and acknowledged the important part the pupils music tuition plays in their wider education and development of life skills, health and wellbeing.

A man was airlifted to hospital early on Monday 12 June after capsizing in his kayak in the Kylerhea Straits.

A boat, the Helen Bruce, was passing nearby and managed to tow the kayak close to shore. The man was spotted by someone onshore who waded out and then swam out for assist him, assisting the rescue which left the kayaker cold and exhausted.

Kyle of Lochalsh RNLI lifeboat was launched at 1:17pm, arriving on the scene at 1:27pm. The first paramedics had just arrived, and had begun to treat the male casualty who was hypothermic and exhausted after struggling in the water for a significant length of time after his kayak overturned.

It was decided due to the extremely remote location and the casualty's condition, the best method of extraction was via the Coastguard helicopter. The helicopter arrived on scene at 2:05pm and landed on the shore to enable two medics to examine the casualty. After discussions with the lifeboat crew, local Coastguard teams and paramedics, it was decided that they would winch the casualty on-board the helicopter instead of trying to carry him up the extremely slippery shoreline.

A volunteer coastguard was also sent to the scene.

The casualty was winched on-board the helicopter at 2:20pm and flown to airlifted to Inverness' Raigmore Hospital by Inverness Coastguard helicopter.

The lifeboat was then stood down and returned to Kyle and was refuelled and made ready for service by 3:15pm.

A man who lived on Skye as a young boy has returned after at least a 47 year long absence.

David Andrew Smith Patterson lived in Uig from 1936 to 1941 and this year, at age 87, he returned to his previous island home.

This marks the first time Mr Patterson has returned to Skye since 1970.

His daughter, Shona Diggines, told The Skye Times: "My dad has been quite poorly for a while and this was on his bucket list to do. On Thursday 18 May, he and my mum packed their little car and drove up from Norfolk."

Mr Patterson lived in the Post Office house in Uig, with his family renting the house and the Post Office renting one of the downstairs rooms.

Meara O'Donnell-Webb, who recently gained her teacher status, told The Skye Times: "We had en examinar come up all the way from England. It was a fun, exciting experience for all.

"They are the first group of students from the Isle of Skye to sit this exam on Skye. This is a big achievement for a rural island and for SkyeDance to be able to offer these girls the opportunity to sit their dancing exams with such a highly recognised examination board.

"We have to wait about a month for the results, but it was such a positive experience for them all.

"SkyeDance will continue to offer ISTD modern theatre dance classes to young people across Skye as they are so beneficial to a young person's development and also great for those wanting to go off and pursue a career in dance."

Six world-class musicians from Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia come together this month in a cross-cultural celebration of new music that bridges the divide between folk and classical, the traditional and the avant-garde.

This month, the six musicians met for the first time in a remote studio in the Highlands. Having never played together before, for five days they immersed themselves in the creation of new music together, combining their different backgrounds and musical traditions to create something completely unique. Six days later they have emerged perform eight concerts in Scotland and come to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on Wednesday, 21 June as part of their Highland tour.

As musical collaborations go, this promises to be an extraordinary musical interchange. Individually, each member has carved out a reputation for not just mastering their chosen fields but rising above, redefining and renewing the musical world they come from.

In The Secret North, they will premiere six new compositions, written by each musician specifically for the ensemble, resulting in a concert of ear-opening new music, grounded in traditions but infused with the adrenaline of contemporary influences. This is music that is both ancient and utterly new.

An elderly casualty with a suspected fractured hip was assisted last night (Sunday 11 June.)

Kyle lifeboat launched at 7:40pm to assist the Scottish Ambulance service with the casualty. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 7:50pm, where the Scottish Ambulance Service and Kyle Coastguard teams were already with the casualty. The 92 year old female had fallen in a house on the remote Fernaig shore, and due to the location, the closest the ambulance could get to the house was approximately 1 mile away.

The lifeboat put 2 crew members ashore to liaise with the paramedics and Coastguard teams, and it was decided that due to the choppy sea conditions along with the wet and cold weather and age of the casualty, it was best not to evacuate her by sea. Therefore, the casualty was loaded into the lifeboat stretcher before being slowly transported down the rough road in the back of a Coastguard off road vehicle.

A species of seaweed that occurs naturally in Japan and China has spread to Skye, according to a new report from the Scottish Natural Heritage.

The invasive species is called sargassum muticum, also known as wireweed. It is thought to have arrived in UK waters in the 1960s and was first recorded in the UK in 1973. The seaweed was first identified in Scottish waters in 2004.

A Scottish Natural Heritage report says it can now be found from the Firth of Clyde to Skye.

The spread of sargassum muticum is described as the "most noticeable change" to be picked up in the new report detailing a survey of marine biodiversity and climate change. It displaces native species through over-growing and starving them of sunlight.

At the declaration of Ross, Skye and Lochaber result Ian Blackford has been elected as the Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency at the UK Parliamentary election on 8 June 2017.

The election count was held overnight at the Highland Football Academy, Victoria Park in Dingwall.

The Portree VisitScotland iCentre has been open for nearly three weeks following its recent refurbishment.

The first VisitScotland iCentre to have been refurbished since the launch of the Spirit of Scotland campaign, Portree is leading the way in bringing #ScotSpirit to life for visitors. VisitScotland hope this refurbishment will increase the impact their iCentre has on the visitor economy, encouraging locals and visitors alike to stay longer and spend more on Skye, and across the Highlands.

The upgraded iCentre features free Wi-Fi, an upgrade of digital facilities, local and national wall maps and large scale wall graphics to ensure visitors receive an optimal experience, and the best information and inspiration.

In the first fortnight following the reopening, more than 11,000 visitors entered. Ticket sales have been up more than 7% and retail sales up 65% on the same period last year.

Young musicians attending Highland Schools are being invited to apply now for musical experiences with the Highland Young Musicians groups in 2017/18.

Norman Bolton, Highland Council’s Music Development Officer said: “There are already some exciting plans in place, and more in the pipeline. At the March 2018 Concerts Festival in Macdonald Highland Resort, Aviemore the Highland Youth Choir will be performing Rutter’s ‘Sprig of Thyme’ folk-song suite, accompanied by Highland Regional Youth Orchestra in collaboration with Dingwall Choral Society. This will be a fantastic opportunity for young choral singers to experience full 4-part soprano, alto, tenor and bass choral singing with orchestral accompaniment.”

Application to Highland Young Musicians groups is open to all young musicians attending Highland Council schools regardless of whether they receive tuition from Highland Council or private music instructors. An increasing diversity of young musicians is being attracted to the musical experiences Highland Young Musician groups give.

Travellers on the A890 Stromeferry Bypass are advised that maintenance works will take place in July.

The Highland Council has appointed Geo-Rope Ltd to undertake planned maintenance works to the rock face above the A890 Stromeferry Bypass. Works are programmed to begin on the 10th of July for approximately 8 weeks.

There are two sections of slope undergoing maintenance both of which are situated approximately 1km west of the avalanche shelter. The works will require traffic management on the adjacent single track road and the road may require short closures during certain operations but this will be kept to a minimum. Supervising staff from The Highland Council will be on site during the works.

The artistic director of a Skye-based performing arts promotions charity is in the running for a special accolade at the first ever National Rural Touring Forum Awards.

Duncan MacInnes of Skye Events for All (SEALL) is one of three nominees in the new awards which saw over 700 individuals nominate productions, venues, promoters, schemes and staff for the award. SEALL is also the only nominee from Scotland.

The NRTF Special Award was open to all nominations with the judges looking for an amazing story from the world of rural touring – and the nominees reflect long-term engagement with specific local communities which have been valued over many years.

Saturday 3 June saw Skye and Lochalsh Young Carers charity walk take place.

The five mile long walk started from the Peinchorran/Balmeanach junction then along to Sligachan.

Those involved included young carers, families, charity representatives, volunteers and Lorna the cake baker.

The 2017 chosen charities have been a great source of support to young carers and their families and include Diabetes Care, Friends of Raigmore Hospital, MacMillan Nurses, Highland Hospice and Huntington's Association.

Communities on Skye are being asked to hang out the buntings and join in The Big Lunch!

The Big Lunch is the culmination of The Great Get Together, an idea inspired by the late Jo Cox, in celebration of her belief that we have more in common with our neighbours.

On Sunday, 18 June, Scotland will join in with the rest of the UK for the annual Big Lunch, where communities organise their own BBQs, get-togethers and street parties, getting to know each other and celebrating their communities.

Last year, events in Scotland took place as far north as Stornoway and as far south as the borders.

Raasay Community Association will be voting on whether or not to open the Hall for hire on Sundays.

In response to requests at RCA’s AGM the Board would be sending all members a letter for a vote on whether the hall should be open for hire on Sundays.

The vote will ask for a simple Yes or No response and in line with RCA's constitution at least 75% of the total votes returned are required to carry the decision. The ballot will be anonymous, although the voting papers will be numbered for security reasons.

Coastguard helicopter rescue 948 airlifted the patient off the island.

Canna Coastguard Rescue Team assisted with the patient transfer, while Portree Coastguard Rescue Team manned the HLS at Broadford, Isle of Skye - where the casualty was transferred to under care of the ambulance service.

Broadford's popular Cafe Sia will be opening the brand new takeaway area on Monday 12 June.

The purpose built takeaway area, named Siaway, is set to the left of the main entrance and is the latest addition to the popular cafe.

Tom Eveling, Cafe Director, told The Skye Times: "Pizza homemade from scratch, using premium ingredients and cooked to order in an Italian wood-fired oven, followed by an espresso or latte made from own-roasted, small batch gourmet coffee beans, ground fresh to order by the opera-trained master roaster and barista.

"No, you’re not in Rome. It’s Café Sia in Broadford on Skye and we’re still doing our best since opening three years ago to serve up a large slice of la dolce vita!"

The police stated that the occupant called 999 last night, but no request was made. Research shows the registration number is J800AHD. Police have asked the public for assistance in locating the campervan.

Those who attend will be able to see the first three episodes of series four of the popular BBC Alba drama from Young Films, which follows a young woman's return to the island she left at 18. The event will take place on Sunday June 25 at 6pm.

There will be a Q&A after the screening.

Tickets can be purchased from the Edinburgh International Film Festival website here.

Participants are required from the Highland Council region to take part in a new project, The Art of the Future World.

The Highland Youth Arts Hub (HYAH) has partnered with the National Galleries for Scotland (NGS) as part of their new outreach project and are currently looking for five participants aged 17-22 to take part in it.

The Art of the Future World aims to link communities throughout Scotland in a national conversations about their futures. Groups will create their own artworks in response to the ‘Project Box’ which will include materials such as: a reproduction of a NGS contemporary artwork (from the NOW exhibition at Modern 1), sculptural materials, buzzwords and written content. The NGS aim to have an exhibition at the National Galleries in early 2018 as a final outcome of the project. This may be in digital format online.

HYAH participants should have an interest in one or more of the following art forms: dance, drama, film, literature, music, visual art and must be available on the following dates:

- Thursday 10th August: An initial project meeting and afternoon exploring the ‘Project Box’. This will take place in Inverness.

- Thursday 14th September: A trip to Edinburgh to see the NOW exhibition at National Galleries Scotland.

Skye and Lochalsh Young Carers will be undertaking a 5 mile charity trek on Saturday 3 June.

The chosen charities have been a great source of support to the young carers and their families. Diabetes Care, Friends of Raigmore Hospital, MacMillan Nurses, Highland Hospice and Huntington's Association will receive an equal split of any money raised.

The trek starts at 10am from the Peinchorran/Balmeanach junction to the road end then along the Sligachan lochside to finish at Sligachan Hotel about 1pm.

A new visitor survey by VisitScotland has revealed top reasons for visiting the Highlands.

Attractions like Urquhart Castle, Fort George, Dunvegan Castle and Castle of Mey are proving a major draw to the Highlands, according to VisitScotland’s biggest ever Visitor Survey.

Carried out in the summers of 2015 and 2016, the national tourism organisation’s poll saw 753 visitors to the Highlands interviewed, and 975 visitors answered specific questions about their visit to the area in a follow-up survey online.

A total of 65 per cent of those who replied cited visiting a historic house, stately home or castle amongst the top activities undertaken in the region – five per cent above the national average of 60 per cent.

There's a haunting air of mystery that cloaks the Highlands, and the region's turbulent history has left behind some of the most beautiful and romantic castles in the world. From Dunvegan Castle on Skye to the much-photographed Eilean Donan Castle - they remain a huge draw for visitors from both the UK and overseas.

A climbdown by the the Crofting Commission looks to have ended the increasingly bitter war of words over common grazings.

Although centred on Lewis, the clash has been closely watched by crofters elsewhere including on Skye.

The dispute took a dramatic turn when the Commission confirmed today that it has written to shareholders of Mangersta Common Grazings on Lewis to advise that the grazings constable has concluded his investigations and has stepped down enabling shareholders to appoint a new committee of their choice.

In the letter to shareholders the Commission stated that it regrets the conflicting advice the Mangersta Grazings Committee has been given over a considerable period of time in response to the investigations which took place due to a complaint made by a shareholder.

Following the news a separate statement issued by the former members of Mangersta Grazing Committee stated: “We are pleased and relieved that common sense has finally intervened and that this whole affair has been brought to a conclusion, with recognition by the Commission that we acted with integrity and in good faith at all times.

Bold plans to not only protect but also enhance one of Skye’s most iconic landmarks and its surroundings have moved a significant step nearer

For Staffin Community Trust (SCT) has awarded a key contract which will assess the potential purchase and improvements of local authority-owned land at the Old Man of Storr.

The move is set across a back drop of growing concerns from the local community about major parking congestion, road safety generally and the lack of toilet facilities which has sparked real public health concerns.

The on-going clash between the Crofting Commission and crofters has now been aired at the highest level.

In talks primarily about the impact of leaving the EU with Scotland’s Rural Economy Secretary, Fergus Ewing, Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) representatives made clear their feelings on the issue.

Fiona Mandeville

For in addition to the Brexit concerns Skye based Chair of SCF, Fiona Mandeville said: “We also had constructive discussion on the Crofting Commission crisis. We are very supportive of a majority elected Commission and fear that the common grazings debacle can jeopardise this.

“We therefore asked Mr Ewing to consider a procedural review of the Commission. At his request, we will send him a note outlining details of our recommendations forthwith.

More than 60 concerts, charity cafes, talks on plants, even a circus big top. This year’s Fèis an Eilein-Skye Festival really does have something for everyone.

Beginning on July 5 with the arrival of Tosta – the festival village from Donastia in the Basque Country - the giant event, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, has something taking place virtually every day right through until the grand finale on Wednesday 24 August with Blazin Fiddles in concert.

For the last decade the volunteer run group has steadily increased its activities in Portree and now boasts everything from mixed flower and vegetable gardens, to public footpaths and sales of produce.

Today (June 29) a special Open Day is being staged at the Viewfield Road premises and everyone is invited along between 11am-3pm.

An RNLI crew from Kyle of Lochalsh were called out in the early hours to help yachtsmen in trouble.

It was around 4am on Monday (June 27) when the lifeboat was called to Plockton Bay where the May Dream has broken from its mooring, run aground and begin to list badly on a falling tide.

When the RNLI volunteers arrived on the scene they were able to work with the two man crew and were eventually able to stabilise the yacht until it was possible to re-float the vessel. No-one was injured during the incident.

Fifty people gathered in Raasay Community Hall as the local community met representatives of NHS Highland (NHSH) to discuss nursing cover on the island.

The meeting was chaired by Lloyd Gudgeon, the development officer for the Raasay Development Trust. District Manager for Skye, Lochalsh and Wester Ross, Kate Earnshaw and Area Manager (West), Ross MacKenzie, attended the meting to explain changes to the District Nursing Protocol, to outline what future steps could be taken and to answer questions from the floor.

Those attending raised concerns about emergency evacuations, out-of-hours care, primary care and the scheduled care they could expect.

Skye’s very first woman priest described her ordination before a packed Portree church as “wonderful” and “humbling”.

Over 100 people attended St Columbus leaving little more than standing room only as former music teacher Rosemary Bungard completed the historic ceremony.

For Rosemary, a resident on Raasay, the ceremony, led by Rt Rev Kevin Pearson, Bishop of Argyll and The Isles, was the culmination of years of work and a moment she truly savoured.

She said; “It really was a wonderful moment and at the same time I felt very humbled.

“The church was full to capacity with congregation members, friends and family. Several retired priests from St Columbus also came along and it was also really nice to have representatives from the dioceses of Moray and Caithness where I had placements in the lead up to my ordination.

“Also it was lovely to have representatives from other churches across Skye there for the occasion. It really made the day complete.”

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service fought hundreds of needless fires across the country last summer, latest figures reveal.

Firefighters worked throughout the hot summer months of 2015 battling blazes at homes, vehicles, grassland, refuse and derelict buildings.

And the majority of those fires were deliberate and reckless – putting pressure on firefighters when genuine emergencies arose and placing lives at risk.Assistant Chief Officer Robert Scott is the SFRS Director of Prevention and Protection.

He spoke out ahead of summer 2016 to warn that firefighters will work closely with our colleagues in Police Scotland to identify those responsible for deliberately setting fires.

In 2015 it was nominated for a national award now organisers of an outdoor Gaelic course in Staffin are hoping to attract even more people this year.

Urras an Taobh Sear (Staffin Community Trust) hosts the first part of Gaelic broadcaster Roddy MacLean’s course Àrainneachd, Cànan is Dualchas next month. In November last year both were nominated in the Community, Heritage and Tourism category at the Daily Record and Bòrd na Gàidhlig Scottish Gaelic Awards

The 10-day Gaelic in the environment course is aimed at fluent Gaelic speakers and advanced learners. It is supported by Bòrd na Gàidhlig. This year it is offered in two five-day blocks and is suitable for countryside rangers, teachers, people employed in heritage and tourism in Scotland and beyond.

Every Tuesday will bring a taste of summer as Glendale showcases itself and all that it can produce.

For the second year running the The Glendale Highland Market is back in business bringing with it fresh tastes, smells and sights of just how good local meat, fish and veg can be.

With much of the vegetables picked just hours before the 11am opening time, according to the community led Glendale Times, those making use of the local retail outlet are guaranteed of putting something good on their plate.

This year promises to see increased availability as the producers are more prepared for the huge demand that saw most of the fresh produce sell out very quickly in 2015.

Follow the buntings that line the streets and they will take you to Broadford Village Hall - the location for the Broadford Gala. The event was organised by the Broadford Youth Club and today (Saturday June 25) was great fun for all involved!

After a foggy start to the day, the sun put in an appearance and the Gala was held in blazing summer sunshine. An estimated 250 people of all ages attended the community event.

Highland Council has confirmed that it will sustain the current funding for Additional Support Needs in Primary and Secondary Schools for the new school year – 2016/17.

While the Council has taken measures to address a £40m budget gap, it will not require to reduce the funding to schools for children with additional needs.

At the Council’s budget meeting in February, members were told that applications for voluntary redundancy had been received from Pupil Support Assistants, but because these staff were supporting individual children in schools they could not be accepted without further assessment of needs.

The Council has now confirm that while voluntary redundancies have been agreed with managers in Additional Support services, the allocation to schools will continue at the current level, and there will be no reduction in the overall number of Pupil Support Assistants. This is because that further assessment of needs is now complete, and because the Council has already achieved its voluntary redundancy savings target from other staff groups.

A showdown confrontation looks likely in Raasay next week as the island's out of hours nursing cover row rumbles on.

After months of lobbying by the Community Council, including making an official complaint - which to date has remained unanswered - a public consultation meeting has been agreed by NHS Highland (NHSH) and will now take place on Monday 27 June.

Announcing the long awaited meeting, Raasay Community Council Secretary, Jill Westgarth, said: "We have asked representatives of NHSH to explain the changes they have made to the nursing service for Raasay since summer 2015, how they expect the service to operate at present, and the options for the future. We remain committed to the principle of a nurse/nurses based on the island.

Skye voters are being reminded that today is the day to have your vote on the EU Referendum on 23 June.

Steve Barron Counting Officer Highland Council area said: "Putting a cross in a box might seem simple, but there are plenty of things voters need to consider in order to be ‘referendum ready’.

"Your poll card will tell you the location of your polling station, and you will find more information on how to take part at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. Voters can also get in touch with the team here at Highland Council with any further queries."

Scotland’s Gaelic college, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Sleat is this week playing host to an international conference about the language.

The Rannsachadh na Gàidhlig event, running through until Friday is featuring the latest and most important research in a range of topics relating to Gaelic. The conference itself takes place every second year in universities which house a Gaelic and/or Celtic department.

More than 1,100 air weapons were handed in across Highlands and Islands as part of a national campaign, coming second only to neighbouring North East division, where the total number of weapons reached 1,562.

A further 211 weapons have been handed in across the Highlands and Islands since the campaign came to a close on 12th June. The photo belows shows some of the air weapons handed in across the division.

Chief Constable Phil Gormley has today (Tuesday June 21st 2016) hailed the initiative a resounding success, as he revealed 11,569 weapons were handed in to Police stations across Scotland in total during the initiative.

Gaelic speakers and supporters are being urged to make their views known as Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd goes about assessing the way it promotes and uses the language.

As part of their Gaelic Language Plan 2016 t0 2019, the publicly owned company, which owns property and piers at more than 26 locations across Scotland and leases ferries directly to Calmac, have set a July 29 deadline for comments and views to be submitted.

With Gaelic widely spoken in the communities served by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) the organisation say they are renewing their commitment to ensuring Gaelic has a strong and sustainable future in Scotland.

CMAL’s Gaelic Language Plan has a three-year timetable of activity, including increasing the amount of Gaelic multimedia content on the corporate website; a Gaelic version of the complaints procedure and the availability, on request, of Gaelic speakers at public meetings.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition is updating its recall of cat food pouches (pet food) to include an additional product. The FSA have issued the notification as they are responsible for animal feed regulations and the enforcement of pet food labelling through local authorities.

A five year long archaeological search to reveal more about Glendale and its ancient past is set to take place.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, local woman Ann MacSween and fellow enthusiast, Dave Reed, carried out excavations at Dun Colbost. The purpose of the excavations was to assess the archaeological deposits on top of the knoll, and also below the knoll. Three short seasons of excavation were carried out and there was considerable interest from the community throughout.

As a result of their efforts various finds were made including pottery dating to the Iron Age, over two thousand years ago, which is similar to the pottery from other excavated brochs in the area including Dun an Iardhard near Dunvegan Castle and Dun Beag near Struan.

Now, according to the community published Glendale Times, beginning next year Ann is set to return to the excavation site this time accompanied by John Barber, an expert in broch architecture who has agreed to co-direct the excavations at Dun Colbost.

The pivotal role played by Skye woman Annie Davidson in establishing a network of volunteers dedicated to saving marine wildlife has been rewarded.

In June of last year Annie witnessed first-hand the heart-breaking sight of a group of pilot whales who stranded themselves on the rocky shore of Staffin.

And it was the tragic loss of some of the whales that spurred her on to do something to make sure that should the same thing ever occur in the future local help would be at hand.

Now Annie, a Youth Development Officer at High Life Highland has received a ‘Staff Award for Exceptional Contribution’ from the charity run company for all the work and effort she has put in over the last twelve months.

The Big Friendly Giant could bring a further big boost to visitor numbers on Skye.

For as Britain gears up to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Roald Dahl’s birth and in the run-up to the launch of the film adaption of The BFG, VisitBritain is showcasing to the world what makes Britain a GIANT - and family-friendly - tourism destination.

And, high up on the places to visit is the Misty Isle which has seen its fair share of movies shot here including scenes from the Steven Spielberg directed BFG which launches in the UK on July 1.

The Hollywood director used the backdrop of The Storr to create scenes in the new, expected to be, blockbuster movie which joins a growing list of films to have taken advantage of the unique nature of the Trotternish Ridge on Skye.

Now the national tourism organisation has launched an international ‘Where Giant Dreams come to Life’ film tourism campaign in its first-ever collaboration with Disney, producer of The BFG.

A new series of episodes of the popular BBC ALBA drama Bannan has been commissioned, it has been announced.The filming of a further five episodes of the programme will give a significant boost to the creative industries in Skye and beyond.Funded by MG ALBA – the Gaelic Media Service - Bannan is filmed on Skye and is produced by The Inbetweeners’ Chris Young and directed by Tony Kearney.To date, 18 episodes have been filmed and the drama has proved to be one of the most watched programmes on BBC ALBA.

Dozens of P7 pupils from across Skye are getting together as part of the Safe Highlanders and Islanders initiative.

The event takes place at the Fingal Centre in Portree on Tuesday and is part of an educational activity based on a partnership approach, endeavoring to tackle challenging issues of community safety and crime prevention.

Children, following the event, become more aware of personal safety, potentially avoid becoming victims of crime, understand how to react to emergency situations and their chances of becoming good citizens increases.

Assistant curate Rosemary Bungard will make history this week-end when she becomes the very first woman to be ordained as a priest on Skye.

The historic occasion will take place at St Columbus Church in Portree where Rosemary has been assistant curate for the last twelve months.

A former music teacher at Portree High School she also conducted the Skye & Lochalsh Young Music Makers Orchestra and the Skye & Lochalsh Orchestra. In addition to her duties at Portree she currently plays a similar role at St Mary’s in Sleat and St Michael and All Angels over on Raasay where she lives.

On Saturday (June 18), an estimated 19,000 people crammed into the Tulloch Caledonium Stadium in Inverness to see and hear the recently-knighted Sir Rod Stewart perform. Many in the audience had travelled from the Isle of Skye and the Isle of Lewis to attend the concert.

The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) has reiterated its call on Scottish Ministers to intervene in the crofting common grazings debacle and to instigate an external examination of the Crofting Commission, following revelations of a cover-up.

“’The Crofting Commission are lying to us’ would perhaps be too strong an accusation” the Skye based chair of the SCF, Fiona Mandeville, said, “but it is clear that they are spinning distortions. Saying one thing and then trying to hide the evidence that they have indeed said something else in the past is duplicitous to say the least.

O.T. (Smoked Salmon) Ltd, is recalling various smoked salmon products because high levels of Listeria monocytogenes have been found in the product. Although the use by date on some of the products has expired, this product is suitable for home freezing, and therefore may have been frozen.

Skye Forest Garden on Sleat has now added to its attractions for locals and visitors alike.

For over 20 years the 16 acre wooded peninsula at Arnadale Pier has been a draw with with its eco camping and accommodation, educational opportunities and has been developed and maintained through the ethos and principles of permaculture.

Now the new 'Pier Stores Whole Foods' has opened at the Forest Garden providing a retail outlet packed full of produce including artisan breads, jams, chutney, wholefoods, juices, gifts and much more.

Located just a few yards up the path to the Rubha Phoil garden there is something for everyone and for those taking the ferry a chance to spend some of their waiting time picking up some very special gifts, food and drink.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews are frequently called to emergencies where someone has gotten into difficulty on rivers, canals and lochs throughout the country.

While firefighters always do what they can to save lives, they know their specialist skills are not always enough.

Around 400 people drown in the UK every year and the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) launched Drowning Prevention Week to make people aware of the dangers and support schools, clubs and leisure centres working to avoid needless tragedies.

A link-up between the Skye-based charity Lucky2BHere, and a family in the Isle of Scalpay off Harris means that staff at CalMac’s port in Tarbert, on the route from Uig in Skye, have been trained to use a newly donated defibrillator. The vital medical equipment has been gifted by the MacRae family via Lucky2BHere and is now installed at the port office – there is a second defibrillator, also donated by Lucky2BHere, at Tarbert’s Sir E Scott School. Sadly, the family’s son Christopher lost his life in 2005 at the age of just 25 to an undiagnosed heart condition..

It may be called the University of the Third Age but on Skye at least the real lesson to be learnt is how to get the very most out of your spare time.

Now Skye U3A are keen to get more locals involved and have drawn up a busy programme of events and activities over the coming months involving everything from searching out local archaeology, flora and fauna to just enjoying a good walk in the company of others

Chair Mo MacQuarrie, said: “There is no age restriction or limit on those who want to join U3A and take part in our activities the only condition is that they must no longer be in full time employment.

Bosses at the soon to be Raasay Distillery had to box cleverly when their planned new development hit any unexpected snag.

Work has now began on the brand new facility but it was while in the pre-planning stage that the company behind the project, R&B Distillers, suddenly discovered bats nesting in the old Borodale House which will form part of the new distillery and visitor centre complex.

It turned out the old building was home to two species, the relatively common Pipistrelle and also what has turned out to be the UK’s most North-Westerly population of Brown Long-Eared bats. So to get around any clashes with the normally nocturnal creatures the distillers have now created Raasay’s very own Bat City.

A little over an hour after police were forced to close the busy A82 south of Drumnadrochit today (June 16) traffic was once again travelling as normal.

A road traffic accident just south of of Urquhart Castle led to police urging drivers to find alternative routes. However, swift action by officers at the scene soon had the road cleared and drivers able to proceed as normal. The incident is said to have involved a motorcycle and a HGV with one woman taken to hospital.

A Skye man, once acknowledged as the world’s most tattooed person, has died.

Thought to be around 80 years old, Tom Woolridge, passed away at an Inverness nursing home.

Known as the Leopard Man of Skye, Tom was reputed to have spent over £5,000 on his body art yet for 20 years lived in a remote bothy on the Kyleakin shore with only a roof of plastic and metal sheeting to protect him.

It’s been a long time coming but work has finally begun to build Raasay’s distillery. R&B Distillers are finally moving on site at Borodale House, formerly the Isle of Raasay Hotel.

Earlier this year the company received planning permission for the project which will see the Victorian-era former hotel building converted into a visitor centre for the Isle of Raasay Distillery. The extension to the hotel built in 1980 is being removed to be replaced by the distillery.

An open letter has been issued by the Crofting Commission’s Chief Executive, Catriona Maclean which reads:

There has been much said recently about the Crofting Commission and its actions, in particular in relation to common grazings. As the regulator for crofting we cannot comment on specific cases but it is clear that there have been a number of issues raised which many people have expressed concern over and the full circumstances of why action was necessary is not yet in the public domain.

I think it is important to say that the Commission is not on a campaign to review the functioning of every grazings committee. Be assured, we do understand that most of the nearly 500 grazings committees across the crofting counties are working well, and will continue to do so, helping to safeguard this important community asset. This situation has identified the passion and value that crofters, and those who represent them, put on common grazing land. The Commission shares that passion and value and it is good to see its management and potential being discussed openly.

An ambitious scheme to transform one of Skye’s already popular natural features into a major tourist attraction has been put forward.

The Staffin Community Trust are seeking planning permission for an initiative which, if it is successful, would almost certainly bring a big boost to the local economy.

As part of the second phase of the Skye Ecomuseum they want to install a galvanized viewing platform. This would dramatically extend some three metres over the Lealt Gorge giving breath taking views not only of the waterfall but also the Trotternish Ridge and across to Wester Ross.

A public swimming pool transformed into a giant frog pond! Might sound like a massive leap of the imagination but that’s what is about to happen on Skye.

On Saturday 25 June, for just one day, the popular Fingal Centre pool in Portree is going to be taking on a whole new look. For Froglife Scotland, a charity dedicated to conserving reptiles and amphibians across the country, is bringing its water based, interactive educational activities to the island.

Youngsters, up to the age of 12 years, can take part in the event which will see the public swim facility turned into an outsized pond complete with frog, tadpole and lilypad floats.

Skye folk can have their say about a proposed new multi million pound plant which is set to bring new jobs and big investment to the island.

Later this month and following on from the initial first round of public information events, Marine Harvest (Scotland), are to hold further exhibitions. There further information will be available about the proposed £80 million fish feed producing facility which will bring around 55 new jobs to Skye.

Already the company have earmarked the old Altanavaig Quarry at Kyleakin as the site for the new plant. Once in full production it will make food for Marine Harvest’s Scottish fish farms as well as those in Norway, Ireland and the Faroe Islands.

A plan to increase and improve mobile coverage in Scotland has been agreed with mobile operators, Cabinet Secretary for Connectivity. Fergus Ewing announced today.

The plan will see the Scottish Government work with the industry and other partners to maximise commercial investment in 4G mobile in Scotland, and ultimately, to support 5G-ready infrastructure across the country. This will help to ensure the Scottish Government uses its powers to guarantee people benefit from better mobile coverage, even though the primary responsibility lies with the UK Government.

The announcement was welcomed by Shirley Spear, ‏founder of The Three Chimneys in Colbost who chairs the Scottish Food Commission. She said on Twitter: "Great! Long overdue. My 5* business is in one of those remote, rural areas in great need of improved infrastructure."

Today (Saturday June 11) the 2016 Isle of Skye Half Marathon was won by Hugh Campbell of Skye and Lochalsh Running Club with a time of 1.12.48. He was one of more than 800 entrants in the race which saw runners take to the roads in and around Portree, with the traditional course reaching out toward Skeabost and Tote.

Taking second and third place respectively were Alastair Thurlbeck of Glasgow University Hares & Hounds with a time of 1.15.30 and Jeremy Rossiter of the Skye and Lochalsh Running Club with a time of 1.15.32.

Around 850 runners took part in the Isle of Skye Half-marathon today and the winner was Hugh Campbell. The first woman across the line was Ellie Buchan from Aberdeen. Conditions were good with the weather grey but not wet . The Isle of Skye Pipe Band accompanied runners to the start line in Portree.

Three Chimney’s restaurant founder Shirley Spear has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honour’s List for services to the food and drink industry in Scotland.

Today congratulations and best wishes were pouring in for Shirley who is also Chair of the Scottish Food Commission, a FlySkye campaigner, and winner of a Lifetime Achievement Scottish Rural Award in 2016.

Skye cancer research fundraisers Alastair and Helen Nicolson from Skye were also awarded the British Empire Medal for their work over the last 30 years while former Carbost head teacher Jessie Donaldson has received a BME for voluntary service to the community.

Skyeskyns on Waternish are spearheading the search to try and reunite a visitor with his lost camera equipment. General manager Dave Till received the following Facebook call for help from a man known only as “Robert”.

“Hi folks, what a place you have to live and work! I walked around the Waternish Point area on Weds 31st May…breathtaking views. Unfortunately, I lost my camera bag + camera + some other gear in the bag. I know it was dropped on the road between Fairy Bridge and the cattle grid where the sign ‘Waternish’ is. Only about 2-3 miles. I’m pretty sure it was picked up by someone either entering or leaving the Waternish area between 7pm – 8pm , as I noticed fairly quickly and proceeded to thoroughly and extensively search both sides of the land by the road, therefore I’m almost certain it’s been picked up from the road. The camera is an expensive one, but the loss of the images contained on the card is what really hurtsme personal stuff. Anyway, I just thought I’d drop you a message to ask if you’d contact me if you’re aware of anyone local finding the bag.

Anyone who can help should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Searches are continuing in the Dornie area for Roger Fletcher, who was reported missing on Sunday 5th June.

Extensive searches have been carried out this week in the Dornie, Bundalloch and Glenshiel areas and around the A87 towards Cluanie. Police Officers, Police and SARDA dogs, lifeboat and Coastguard personnel have been involved in the search effort in addition to Kintail and RAF Mountain Rescue Teams.

Skye man William Swann was today unwilling to add to the speculation following his sudden resignation from the Crofting Commission.

The announcement that Mr Swann from Ardvasar, Sleat, was stepping down from his role as a Commissioner forthwith, came in a brief statement this week from Chief Executive, Catriona Maclean.

In recent months there has been growing discontent at grass roots level over the decisions by the Commission to remove from office two grazing committees at Upper Coll and Mangersta in Lewis after investigating their financial arrangements.

However, today Mr Swann said he had nothing to add to the resignation announcement made by the Chief Executive.

However, he did say: "The situation is one very much between the Scottish Government and Crofting Commission and something they need to sort out. I hope that things do calm down.”

Final preparations were underway today as Skye was once again preparing to welcome hundreds of road runners to the island.

A record number of competitors, some 800, have put down their names for this year’s Skye half marathon and many taking part will be relieved that the recent heatwave type temperatures look set to fall.

The Met Office was predicting, “A rather dull and damp day with outbreaks of mainly light rain at times.”

The Crofting Commission have today confirmed that Skye man William Swann has decided to resign from his position of Commissioner. Mr Swann was appointed by Scottish Ministers in January 2012 and is said to have provided a significant contribution to the Commission during his time and was particularly helpful as the chair of the Audit and Finance Committee. Crofting Commission Chief Executive, Catriona Maclean, commented: “William has provided invaluable knowledge, expertise and guidance to the Commission. The Commission would like to thank William for all of his hard work and we wish him luck with his future ventures. “The Commission remain quorate and I would like to assure all crofters that it is business as usual with a continued focus on securing the future of crofting.”

The Electoral Commission is urging voters who are not already registered to vote to make an application before midnight on Thursday 9 June.

The Commission called this morning for the Government to consider options for introducing legislation as soon as possible that would extend the deadline, after problems affected the Government’s registration website last (Tuesday) night.

The Government has now announced that they plan to introduce legislation that will allow people who make applications to register on Wednesday 8 and up to midnight on Thursday 9 June to vote in the EU Referendum on 23 June.

Flyskye in its on-going campaign to bring scheduled flights back to the island is hoping a planned photo exhibition, to be held locally this summer, will bring further support to the cause.

The Value of Small Airports is the theme of the exhibition which will take place on Skye at the end of August.

However, the visit to Skye will different from the other areas visited so far because it hasn’t had a scheduled air service since 1988, when Loganair withdrew the Glasgow service that had been operating since 1972.

Western Isles Councillors have agreed to roll out a Skye-based programme providing life-saving equipment and emergency life-support training to schools across the islands making Comhairle nan Eilean Siar the first local authority in Scotland to introduce Emergency Life Support on to the Curriculum for Excellence.

The Education and Children’s Services Committee agreed to grant £30,000 toward the Lucky2BHere project which will see defribillators installed and training provided at all schools in the Western Isles.

Skye’s fight to have its own abattoir on the island has taken a significant step forward.

With full planning permission already given a crowdfunding campaign is about to begun to help raise at least some of the expected cost of the facility, which will be just over £1million.

Local MSP Kate Forbes and the chairwoman of the Scottish Food Commission and founder of Skye’s world renowned Three Chimney’s restaurant, Shirley Spears, have already given their backing to the fund-raising plan.

The initial intention of the Skye and Lochalsh Meat Supply Group, who are the driving force behind the new abattoir, is to try and raise at least five percent of the total cost through crowd funding. This would involve getting financial support from contributions, both large and small, given to the initiative.

In recent years the only alternative of local crofters and meat producers to have their beasts slaughtered has been to travel to Dingwall with all the inherent costs of transportation and stress for the animals.

Police Scotland have now formally confirmed that the 21 year old woman killed during a road traffic collision on the A87 near Sligachan Hotel, Skye, in the early hours of June 6 was Madison Rice, from Australia, who was working on the island at Kinloch Lodge, Sleat.

At the same time the force have also put out a photograph of Maddy given by her grieving family.

The Crofting Commission is emphasising the important role of grazings committees in representing shareholders and maintaining and improving common grazings.

Grazings committees are seen as playing a crucial part in the crofting system and in the effective shared management of common grazings across the crofting counties. The Commission therefore say it is important for them to have, and follow, clear grazings regulations to safeguard the future of common grazing land for the benefit of all crofters. Vice-Convener of the Crofting Commission, I G Macdonald explains:

As part of the ongoing search effort to trace Roger Fletcher, who is missing in the Dornie area, Police in Lochalsh have received information about a sighting of a man walking on the A87 on Sunday night.

Around 7pm on Sunday 5th June, a man in his seventies or eighties was sighted on the main A87 trunk road, approximately 4 miles west of Cluanie, in the Glenshiel area. He was walking with two poles and wearing outdoor clothing.

Raasay Primary School pupils will soon be able to enjoy working in their garden in all weathers.

Plans are in motion to set up a new polytunnel. It is hoped that the new polytunnel will be better able to withstand the winter weather and allow the pupils to tend their gardens all year round.

To help enrich the soil in the polytunnel, a new composting scheme has been set up. On Monday, several of the pupils, as well as head teacher Wilma Duncan, visited residents to advertise their new community project. The scheme will initially take effect in the School Park area of Raasay, with the potential to expand the project at a later date. Each resident wishing to take part will be given their own compost caddy. On Wednesdays, the pupils will collect the full caddies and use the compost in the school garden. With the help of the community, the pupils aim to reduce the area's CO2 emissions by 17.5 tonnes.

At the age of 76 years Skye man David Hearn has yet again become a world beater

Already a European champion and holding three world records in power lifting, David from Hill Place in Portree travelled to Wales at the week-end (June 3,4,5) to take part in World Drug Free Power Lifting Federation’s Single Lift Championship.

There he was joined by around 400 competitors drawn from across the globe, including Americans, Russians, French, Italians and Brazilians but it was the Skye man who, at least in his age category, ruled supreme. For he grasped not just one but two world titles and narrowly missed out on a third when he took runners up spot.

Calmac’s decision not to bring MV Coruisk back to the Sound of Sleat this summer has been quickly condemned by local MSP Ian Blackford.

Only last week the man who represents Ross, Skye and Lochaber claimed he had been assured that the ferry, currently plying the Oban-Craignure route, would be returned to Mallaig-Armadale in a matter of weeks.

Within hours of hearing of Calmac’s decision Mr Blackford issued a strong statement condemning the move.

The R.House Trotternish Ridge Race took place on Saturday 4th June. Following a couple of weeks of dry weather, the underfoot conditions were amazingly dry as 36 competitors lined up on the start line at Flodigarry. It was a brilliantly sunny day with perfect visibility, although the heat was a factor for some of the runners.

Local Donnie Campbell led from the start, leading the pack up over Meall na Suiramach before descending to cross the Quiraing Road. The runners then faced the long, remote run along the Trotternish Ridge crossing high points of Ben Edra, Hartaval and The Storr.

Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) has confirmed it intends making no further changes to the Mallaig-Armadale service this summer but has agreed, after listening to community concerns, that it will review vessel deployment for summer 2017 in consultation with affected communities.

CalMac Managing Director Martin Dorchester said the timetable changes made in light of reliability issues on the Mallaig-Armadale service had noticeably improved performance on the route.

He said: “We regret that our plans for the Mallaig-Armadale route have fallen short of some expectations but I would stress that every change to our summer timetable was made after consultation with the local communities and each change was made in good faith with the sole intention of enhancing ferry services and addressing local concerns, some long-standing, about services in their area. We should also not lose sight of the fact that the vast majority of these changes have been warmly welcomed by those local communities.

Police in Kyle of Lochalsh are appealing for information that could help trace the whereabouts of 77 year old Roger Fletcher, who was last seen around 8.30am on Sunday 5 June.

He set off from a holiday home in Bundalloch near Dornie for a walk. He walks with a stoop and uses two walking poles to assist him. He has white coloured hair and wears glasses. It understood he may have a small khaki coloured rucksack with him.

You’ll be happy to hear that Portree Parish Church has been ringing the changes.

For years the church bell has only been rung on a few special occasions but now it’s bringing back a little old fashioned atmosphere to the village centre as its peals can be heard on the hour, every hour, right through the day.

Already locals and visitors alike have commented favourably on the return of the regular rings but for the Somerled Square church, Rev. Sandor Fazakas, admits that the new addition was more by accident than design.

Local man Donnie Campbell did the double when he took first place for the second time running in the R.House sponsored Trotternish Ridge race on Skye.

And, with a slightly lengthened course to 30km it also meant a new race record for the Skye runner who managed to get round the super tough course in just 3.07.52 seconds. First lady home was Jill Stephen in 3.55.03.

A 21 years old woman has died during an early morning road accident on Skye today (June 6)

Just one vehicle and a lone pedestrian are reported to have been involved in the accident which occurred near Sligachan Hotel forcing police to close off the A87 A851 - A863 Sconser to Sligachan to traffic in both directions.

The incident occurred at 1.15 am this morning and the road was closed to traffic until around 9.30am.

Police with speed cameras have been keeping a careful eye on traffic passing through the Skeabost area of Skye. The action was as a result of complaints from the local Skeabost Community Council and just a few weeks ago five drivers were reported when they were recorded doing over 80mph.

Learning through Living Culture is the theme of a new partnership course to be run on Skye.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is linking up with the Flodigarry Township Trust to run the community based course later in the year.

The 5-day residential is designed for advanced learners of Gaelic who wish to improve their oral and literary skills as well as deepen their knowledge of Gaelic literature, history and culture in the heart of a thriving Gaelic community in North Skye.

The week, which runs from August 22-26, includes a mixture of tutors and contributors with outdoor education and class-based workshops. It is expected that this course will be of great benefit to learners who seek to reach fluency in their studies or profession as well as those who wish to reach fluency for personal development.

There were more problems for vintage paddle steamer Waverley yesterday (June 3rd) with over 100 passengers having to be bussed back to Portree.

A planned cruise from Portree round Raasay and back to the harbour had to be aborted, it’s believed because of tide and wind conditions making it unsafe for the vessel to return to its starting point. Instead the 70 year old ship, the last sea going steamer of its kind in the world, was forced to head to Kyle where it docked. There passengers were met by coaches which brought them back to their original starting point.

One passenger said: “We got to Raasay and were then told that the crew had been informed the conditions were not safe enough to return to Portree so we were taken to Kyle. It did seem strange because the sea seem dead flat and calm.”

Some 50 entrants were lining up today for the start of Skye’s gruelling Trotternish Ridge Race.

Amongst the favourites is local and last year’s winner Donnie Campbell, the new record holder of the tough Highland Fling race and who only recently took 5th place in Mont Blanc’s 80km event and current Scottish 100km champion.

All the runner’s though will be put to the test against the 17 miles route which starts at Flodigarry and finishes at Storr Lochs. In between the competitors will face some of the most rugged running conditions possible.

Last year, such were the conditions with driving rain and storm force winds, that the organisers, Skye and Lochalsh Running Club, had to reduce the course to 12 miles finishing in Glenhinnisdal. However, today heat was likely to be the main issue.

Organiser, Neil Turner said: “This will be the fourth running of the ridge race and the weather has thrown everything at us in the past.”

The Skye Festival has announced the line-up for a long-hot summer with 70 events throughout July and August.

Also known as Fèis an Eilein, it is organised by SEALL or Skye Events for All, one of the UK’s liveliest and longest running local promoting organisations. Based at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Scotland’s Gaelic College, on the Isle of Skye, SEALL brings together a wide range of culturally diverse events alongside a programme of community led cafes, exhibitions and house concerts. This year SEALL celebrates its 25th birthday.

The Grand old lady of the sea - Waverley – was back on scheduled sailing today after high winds and rough seas led to a shortened cruise yesterday.

The ship, described as one of the world’s greatest historic ships – the last sea-going paddle steamer in existence – should have sailed from o Gairloch but instead it was decided, in light of the weather conditions, to visit only Portree and Kyle.

This morning, though excursion staff confirmed that the Waverley would been sailing on the planned cruise around Raasay.

Amid growing speculation that the MV “Coruisk” might be returning to the Mallaig-Armadale route, Calmac have made it clear no final decision has yet been made.

Despite the growing clamour of recent weeks the ferry company appear reluctant to make any decision without first investigating all the consequences of bringing the vessel back from its current role servicing the Oban-Craignure route.

In fact only last week in reply to a query from one Sleat resident, Calmac’s Managing Director, Martin Dorchester, made no indication of the “Coruisk” returning but instead that amendments had been made to the present timetable.

Lifting world records just comes naturally to Skye’s David Hearn and now he’s out to do it again!

At the age of 76, David continues to amaze and while he is already a European champion and holds three world records this week-end he will be in Wales as he takes on all-comers in trying to add the World Single Lift Championship to his formidable tally.

Wi-fi friendly ferries right across CalMac’s service will soon be the norm.

While the company may still be under-fire for the on-going problems on Skye’s Armadale-Mallaig crossing at least travellers there and throughout the ferry network will have instant access to the internet.

Already almost half of the 200-mile long Caledonian MacBrayne network is now live with free public access wi-fi – and the remainder will be completed in early July.

In total, 88 vessels and land-based locations will be switched on. The roll out of free wi-fi has been on-going for some time but the programme has gathered rapid pace in the last two months . The service is seen as being a welcome addition to both visitors and locals alike, especially in many remote areas where mobile signal ranges from poor to absent. There is little 3G or 4G provision across most of the network and this new connectivity is seen as a welcome boost to both business and pleasure travelers who can now work or communicate in real time.

A major road on Skye was blocked by a one vehicle accident following an early morning incident.

Police say the sole occupant of the vehicle, a Mercedes delivery van, suffered no serious injuries during the incident which occurred at around 6am on the A87 between Portree and Varragill. The vehicle is thought to have collided with a bridge and police were forced to close the road for sometime while the van was recovered resulting in long tail backs and delays for travellers.

In a separate incident, also on Wednesday 1 June but this time shortly after 7am, took place at Kyleakin two vehicles were involved in a collision. Again police confirmed that there were no serious injuries.